• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7

Football's biggest stars, with special emphasis on how nice guys finish first!

Chock-full of today's NFL heroes, Football Stars is the ultimate kids' guide to America's favorite game. Over 20 of the NFL's best and brightest players are profiled, while a 14-page football primer tells young readers everything they need to know to become experts of the game. Being great at passing, receiving, tackling or kicking is just one facet of the players featured in Football Stars. Some stars, like Aaron Rodgers and Antonio Brown, show how hard work and a will to succeed have propelled them to the top, while others, like Drew Brees, do their best to give back to those in need, challenging the old adage that "nice guys finish last". Accompanying each player's remarkable story is a unique graphic poster that highlights a theme from his profile. Lighting up smiles by day and stadiums by night, the athletes featured in Football Stars are shining examples of what can happen if you focus on your goals and make the right choices.

Mike Ryan is a Toronto-based sportswriter and football fan. His other books include Hockey Now! (9th Edition), Football Now! and Tennis' Greatest Stars.

Mike Ryan's profile page

"The two-column text for each player briefly provides his history in making his way to the NFL, including challenges and triumphs, with Ryan incorporating quotes by and about the player... Football Stars is a book of the moment. In a half dozen years, many of these NFL stars will be outshone by others, and still others will be out of the game entirely, either due to career-ending injuries or retirement. Nonetheless, this most reasonably priced book has a place in today's school and public libraries. Young fans of NFL football will eat it up, and reluctant readers will respond to its illustration-heavy, text-light content. Recommended."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

The book begins with some football basics, a short quiz, a did you know page and a timeline of football history from 1869 to the present. The remainder of the book contains profiles of 22 NFL players, each consisting of a 2-page spread. This would be a good book for the football enthusiast. It gives some good basic information about the game as well as easy to read information about the players.

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